Hello culers! At 6 a.m. Beijing time on January 13, Barça eliminated Real Betis through a penalty shootout and successfully advanced to the final of the Spanish Super Cup. The victory also had special significance for captain Sergio Busquets. In addition, Alba was also interviewed by the official media today, let's find out together!
Starting lineup
The starting formation still adopts 433; Araujo and Conde partnered in double centre-back, with Roberto and Alba on either side;
The midfield trio is Garvey, De Jong and Pedri; The striker is flanked by Rafinha and Dembele, with Lewandowski in the centre; The goalkeeper is still ter Stegen.
Advance to the finals
At the beginning of the game, Barca firmly controlled the ball, with 61% possession throughout the game, 797 passes and 10 shots on goal, repeatedly posing a threat to the opponent in front of goal.
In the 40th minute, the Red and Blue, who had been patiently looking for opportunities, broke the deadlock first, Pedri countered with a long pass, Dembele broke through the score, and Lewandowski scored two consecutive goals in front of the goal, giving Barca a 1-0 lead.
Lewandowski's goal not only gave Barca a lead in the scoreline, but also made him the first Polish player in history to score in the Spanish Super Cup.
Lewandowski has continued to be extremely efficient this season, scoring 19 goals for Barca in 21 official matches, including 13 in the league, five in the Champions League and one in the Spanish Super Cup.
In the 77th minute of the second half, the opponents equalized the score and the two sides went into extra time. Fati took the lead again with a left-footed volley in the 93rd minute of extra time. It is worth mentioning that Fati was injured in the 2020 league match against Real Betis, and this goal is also his best response to doubts.
In the 103rd minute of extra time, the opponents again equalized the score, and then the two sides entered a penalty shootout. Lewandowski, Kessie, Fati and Pedri hit all four free throws, and ter Stegen saved twice to give Barca a 4-2 penalty shoot-out to advance to the final of the Spanish Super Cup.
700 milestones
Sergio Busquets came off the bench in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Real Betis in the 64th minute, his 700th appearance for Barça in an official match. He is the third player after Messi and Xavi to reach this milestone number of appearances.
Sergio Busquets made his first-team debut against Atletico Santander in September 2008, scoring 18 goals and assisting 40 times in a total of 486 games in 700 appearances he played.
Busquets has won a total of 30 trophies for Barca, including eight league titles, three Champions Leagues, six Spanish Super Cups, three Club World Cups, seven Copa del Rey and three European Super Cups.
This season marks Busquets' 18th season with the Red and Blues, where he is the link between the front and back, and off the pitch he is a role model for the team's youngsters. In the coming game, Sergio Busquets will lead Barca to challenge for more titles.
Be interviewed
Alba spoke to the media after the match about the upcoming Spanish Super Cup final, saying: "For me it is an important trophy, especially against a team like Real Madrid. Some of the youngsters in the squad haven't won the title yet, but we have a chance this time and we'll try to win. ”
On his current form, he said: "I'm feeling really good right now and I hope we can add another trophy, which is important both collectively and individually. ”
Commenting on the changes Xavi has brought to his manager, Alba said: "He brings a lot of enthusiasm, we are on the right track and I see the difference made by this ambitious team. ”
Finally, speaking about Sergio Busquets, who made 700 appearances for Barca, he said: "He is a legendary player at the club and this is a great achievement that only a unique person can do. ”